February 16, 2013

You're in the elevator, the head honcho comes in. You have a great idea but don't know how to pitch it to him. You think and think, but it's too late! He's gone.

Don't let this happen to you. Your pitch is everything. It can make you or break you. Join EFactor and experts during the jammed packed infromational session that will help you create the perfect elevator, investor, sales, and media pitch.

February 10, 2013

Rapid Realignment was written by George Labovitz and Victor Rosanky who are best selling authors of The Power of Alignment. George Labovitz is the founder and CEO of ODI, an international management training and consulting firm, and professor of management and organizational behavior at the Boston University Gradate School of Management. Victor Rosansky is co-founder and President of LHR International and has more than 25 years experience working with Fortune 500 clients as a consultant.

The book in comprised of the following chapters:

The Big Picture The Alignment Framework

From Strategic Intent to Tactical Action: Vertical Alignment

Energing People: Employee Engagement

Getting to "Wow!": Horizontal Alignment

Better and Better: Continuous Process Improvement

Social Media as an Alignment Tool

Culture: The Secret Sauce

Rapid Realignment: Methods and Tools

The Enterprise Effect: The Ultimate Expression of Alignment

The book provides the insights and tools that you need to make sure that your strategy, customers, processes, and people work seamlessly together to serve customers. It is mportant that you are able to realign when change happens.

Rapid Realignment is a follow-up to the authors successful book, The Power of Alignment, which was written in 1997. As required reading for the U.S. Navy in 2001, it underwent one of the greatest organizational transformations under leadership of Vern Clark.

With an evolving business world today,firms needs to adapt to the pace of technological. competitve, and social change. A firm that fails to adapt will mostly like loss in the marketplace.

The authors provide information on the following:

Engaging employees at evey level with the "Main Thing" of your business

Linking strategy and organizationa processes

Brinng the customer voice inside your comapny through scola media

Using social media and ditgital technology to quickl indentify points of mialignment at any lvel

Creating the "Enterprise Effect".

Throughout the book, the authors share case studies from firms such as FedEx, the U.S. Navy, and Quest Diagnostics that demonstrate the author's methods. Rapid Realignment provides a roadmap on how to reach peak organizational performance.

February 06, 2013

We network to find the right connections, the right business partners, the next client. We often forget that we also network to find the right employees; the talent that will help move the business ahead. How do you go about finding your next top performer? More importantly, how do you hold onto them once you've got them?

What is a top performer?

A top perfromer can save a business; they are individuals who, on average, can produce two to four times more than a typical worker. The value of a top peformer is not only measured in efficiency, research from the Human Capital Institute shows that fully engaged employees return 120% of their salary in value! Top performers are driven and committed to the company they work for. They seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth. They not only have the ability to do the work, they want to do it.

How to find a top performer

Here comes the next big question, where do you find these model employees? There are so many channels to find talent: job fairs, networking events or events hosted by schools to showcase fresh graduates. Then there are a plethora of social media platforms that are career-oriented - LinkedIn being the big one. Internal sources are also a great asset to tap into. Internal referral programs are the #1 source for high quality hires as they help connect you with people that already fit your company's culture, require less training and are more likely to stay with the organization.

Of course, as most networkers know, the more people you meet, the better your chances of finding that great employee. If you are not on the lookout for new employees, make it heard. Let your network know that you are looking to hire, word travels fast and referrals are always worth looking into.

It also helps if your business is known as a good place to work. The more alluring your company is, the easier it is to find top talent. People will seek out desirable work environments; keep in mind, word travels equally fast among prospective employees. Flexible hours, benefits, free coffee, complimentary gym membership, these can all add to the glamour of your business. Take the time and look at it from your employees' perspective.

How to develop a top performer

What kind of ocmpany do you run? Is it about creative input or structure results? Knowing what makes your wheels turn will help you pick the ideal candidate. Once you find a top performer, your job does not stop there. The employee has to be coached, trained, and made to feel comfortable. Give them feedback, and be ready to listen as well. And perhaps the most importan aspect of a good boss is the ability to recognize the difference between people. We all have a tendency to base our judgments on the one thing we are most familiar with, ourselves. However, a versatile and successful company does not need clones of the boss. So take your time and encourage self-awareness, both in yourself and in your employees. Understand what makes you and your team click. Recognize the elements that work well together, and the ones that need improvement; make "why" the mantra of your company.

How to hold onto a top perfomer

You've foudn the perfect candidate, you've explained and listened. Great! How you have to hold onto your greatest asset, the talented and driven employee. Retaining top peformers is easy if done from the beginning. Provide tools to develop and support the employee in his or her career goals. Provie and environment where all of your employees feel comfortable. Boost morale and employee engagement by creating social events where all are welcome to participate.

Thus, the power of your business doesn't only lie in people, but in the RIGHT people. Spread the word throughout your network that you are actively seeking to hire. Make your company desirable for your ideal candidate, and create an environment that enables growth. And lastly, make sure you encourage development not only for your top performer but for all of your employees.